T34 World News - The Hedges Family Web Site
T34 World News - The Hedges Family Web Site
T34 World News - The Hedges Family Web Site
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />
2011 Edition #5<br />
CONTENTS:<br />
<strong>T34</strong> 50 th Anniversary in Jolly Ol’ England<br />
Spotlight: Cool Regatta Blue 1968 M345<br />
Original Owner Tales: Our Romantic <strong>T34</strong><br />
Museum Tour: VW Osnabrück <strong>T34</strong> Collection<br />
Repro Parts: VIN Plates, Knobs, Seals, & Relay<br />
Resto Update: French 1965 Reassembly<br />
Resto Update: Get Me To <strong>The</strong> Church On-Time!<br />
Road Trip: Australian 3000km drive home<br />
Resto Tip: Engine Trapdoor Insulation<br />
Rep Profile: Jörg Fischer from Germany<br />
Accessories: Under-Dash Parcel Trays<br />
For Sale: 46K-mile Castillian Yellow 1967<br />
Authenticity: Window Winder Handles<br />
Long-Term Owner: Belgian 1969 Daily Driver<br />
1 st <strong>T34</strong> Story: <strong>The</strong> Piano Ghia in Denmark<br />
Spotlight: Anthracite 1964 Oh Là Là!
Almost at the 100 <strong>T34</strong> Mark!<br />
We are now up to 91 pre-registered <strong>T34</strong>s for the <strong>T34</strong> 50 th<br />
Anniversary this August in Germany. If you are planning to<br />
attend this event please get in-touch with Jorg Fischer<br />
(JorgFischer@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>,org) so you can get help with hotel<br />
rooms, transportation, and other necessary information. <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
a real likelihood of there being more than 100 <strong>T34</strong>s at this event<br />
which would be an incredible new world record!<br />
We will soon have the finished graphic for the <strong>T34</strong> 50 th<br />
Anniversary t-shirt that I will be printing to honor this special<br />
event. White 100% cotton t-shirt with the graphic on the front<br />
in any size needed including youth & adult sizes. Shirts are<br />
US$20 each + shipping. Contact Lee<strong>Hedges</strong>@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org<br />
<strong>The</strong>re have been several <strong>T34</strong>s changed hands recently and some<br />
good stories to tell. A 150K-mile original owner 1965 M345<br />
from New Mexico USA was sold to a three-generation family in<br />
Florida USA that plans to restore it as a family project between<br />
grandfather, son, & grandson. A restored original owner 1967<br />
M343 from Georgia USA also found a new home with a T3<br />
family in Michigan USA and the wife will be driving it daily<br />
during good weather conditions. I hope to have their detailed<br />
stories published in the next edition for all to enjoy.<br />
I will soon have a Ruby Red & Black 1963 M343 coming to San<br />
Diego to be prepped for sale. This is a special <strong>T34</strong> since it was<br />
one I had bought & sold in 2005. With a new interior and<br />
excellent driving condition it will be at the VW Classic in Irvine.<br />
If you’ve been searching for a nice one, this may be it …<br />
<strong>The</strong> reproduction parts scene has some very good news coming<br />
in the next week or so. We will be offering a large inventory of<br />
new reproduction parts through <strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong> and developing a<br />
worldwide distribution for a wide range of <strong>T34</strong> parts so you can<br />
get it all from one source without dealing with international<br />
shipping costs, out-of-stock inventory, and lack of<br />
communication from vendors. We hope to make <strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong> a<br />
hub of activity for <strong>T34</strong> owners seeking quality obsolete repro<br />
parts. Stay tuned for the great news!
<strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong> International Team<br />
<strong>The</strong> key to the success of <strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong> will be maintaining an active group and the support of <strong>T34</strong> owners in many different countries speaking many<br />
different languages. Our team of 34 dedicated <strong>T34</strong> reps in 21 countries will help <strong>T34</strong> owners in their regions, reporting back on events in their<br />
areas, and maintaining contacts with parts sources. Here’s your international team! Please contact them directly for assistance & advice.<br />
ADMINISTRATOR: Lee <strong>Hedges</strong> (Lee<strong>Hedges</strong>@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
GERMANY:<br />
Southern – Jörg Fischer (JorgFischer@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Western – Carsten Klein (CarstenKlein@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Northern – Klaus Morsch (KlausMorsch@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
UNITED STATES:<br />
Southern Calif – Bob Walton (BobWalton@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Central Calif - Tom Reay (TomReay@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Northern Calif - Larry Edson (LarryEdson@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Mountain States - Paul Colbert (PaulColbert@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Southern USA - Jason Weigel (JasonWeigel@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Central USA - Bob Dervin (BobDervin@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
NorthEast USA - Rick Hasse (RickHasse@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
BELGIUM:<br />
Jurgen Magdelyns (JurgenMagdelyns@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Paul Peeters (PaulPeeters@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Jimmy Vernelen (JimmyVernelen@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Mike Zanella - Liège (MikeZanella@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
AUSTRALIA:<br />
Queensland - James Kramer (JamesKramer@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
Victoria - Patrick Duane (PatrickDuane@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
UK: Mark Poulton (MarkPoulton@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
BRAZIL: Fernando Mendonca (FernandoMendonca@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
CANADA: Ron Buckley (RonBuckley@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
DENMARK: Morten Christensen (MortenChristensen@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
FINLAND: Timo Tanhuanpää (TimoTanhuanpaa@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
FRANCE: Franck Boutier (FranckBoutier@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
INDONESIA: Iwan Sadono (IwanSadono@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
ITALY: Antonio Pellegrino (AntonioPellegrino@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
JAPAN: Toru Ebine (ToruEbine@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
MEXICO: Antonio Martinez (AntonioMartinez@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
NETHERLANDS: Remco de Bruijn (RemcodeBruijn@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
NEW ZEALAND: John Kanters (JohnKanters@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
NORWAY: Dag Henriksen (DagHenriksen@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
PHILIPPINES: Dindo Razonable (DindoRazonable@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
SOUTH AFRICA: Greg Davids (GregDavids@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
SWITZERLAND: Philip Egger (PhilipEgger@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)<br />
THAILAND: Nam Xanasongkram (NamXanasongkram@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org)
<strong>T34</strong> 50 th Update: UK Celebration!<br />
Eight RHD <strong>T34</strong>s all gathered in the middle of England at<br />
Wilmcote in early May to celebrate the 50 th Anniversary. <strong>The</strong><br />
event was organized by KGOC-GB founding member Andy<br />
Holmes and current Chairman Clive Richardson (bottom<br />
photo). <strong>The</strong> group cruised to the Stratford Armouries Museum<br />
for lunch then took a scenic drive over to Kinwarton Dovecote<br />
near Alcester (built in the 14th century) and finally ended up at<br />
the Mary Arden Inn at Wilmcote near Stratford upon Avon for<br />
dinner (right). Sunday morning saw the <strong>T34</strong>s arriving at the<br />
Heritage Motor Museum at Gaydon. We got a lot of “What<br />
are those cars?” and “Long time since I’ve seen one of those!”<br />
comments. <strong>The</strong> <strong>T34</strong>s proved to be a major attraction!
Top Right: Mark Poulton’s Gobi Beige 1968 M344,<br />
Andy Holmes’ Roulette Green & White 1965 M344,<br />
1968 M344, Maureen Stanford’s 1968 M344, Derek<br />
Frow’s Yellow 1968 M344 with folding sunroof,<br />
Clive Richardson’s Metallic Blue-Green 1966 M344,<br />
John Figg’s Dark Blue 1969 M344 Automatic, &<br />
Andy Holmes’ Black 1962 M343.
Spotlight: Cool Regatta Blue<br />
Carsten Klein discovered an original restored Regatta Blue 1968<br />
Electric Sunroof a few hours from his home in Germany and<br />
couldn’t resist the temptation to check it out. Priced at 16K<br />
Euro (US$23,700) it was at the higher end of the value range.<br />
But as you can see it’s a beautiful <strong>T34</strong>, well-restored body with<br />
a wonderfully-preserved solid Black leatherette interior, 112K<br />
kms (70K miles), and only four owners. <strong>The</strong> electric sunroof,<br />
electrically-heated rear window, & aftermarket accessory head<br />
rests are cool features too.
Original Owner Tales: Our Romantic <strong>T34</strong><br />
Story as told by Joseph Henry Guay, April 2011<br />
“I joined the military service in 1954 and was a paratrooper<br />
stationed in Augsburg, Germany. I learned to love Germany<br />
and its people and really loved being able to see the many<br />
countries in Europe. By 1968 I was again living in Germany,<br />
this time teaching history at the American school in Frankfurt.<br />
At 34 years old I wanted to buy a new middle-class car but the<br />
Opel was too expensive on a teacher’s pay. I asked around and<br />
learned about the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia 1600 Type 34.<br />
Others had told me it was a poor-man’s working car and when<br />
I first sat inside it felt like putting on a new suit. It fit perfectly<br />
and felt like it belonged to me, became part of me as I drove<br />
around. I bought the <strong>T34</strong> and also a new gray wool blanket at<br />
the VW factory which I’ve kept in the car all these years.<br />
In 1970 I met my wife Kathryn while on a tour as she sat next<br />
to me. She was a nurse in the Armed Forces. We dated for a<br />
while and went for many drives in the <strong>T34</strong> around Germany,<br />
down the Rhine River past the workers gathering grapes<br />
alongside the roads. It was the perfectly romantic area to fall<br />
in-love. We soon we married in Switzerland but had to<br />
remarry again in Germany due to paperwork issues. She later<br />
told me that the <strong>T34</strong> was one of the biggest deciding factors<br />
why she married me as the <strong>T34</strong> was a fine car, sporty and<br />
stylish, and that it showed her I had good taste. <strong>The</strong> Armed<br />
Forces transported the <strong>T34</strong> back to the USA when we relocated<br />
back to Phoenix Arizona to raise our family.<br />
After living in the hot desert floor of Phoenix we eventually<br />
moved to Flagstaff, high in the mountains because it was cooler<br />
year-round. We bought a home and loved the small-town<br />
feeling in Flagstaff in the 1970’s. <strong>The</strong> only drawback was there<br />
was only one Volkswagen service shop in town. It was run by<br />
a mechanic named Burkhart Franke, but he preferred to be<br />
called Burke. He knew more about the <strong>T34</strong> than we did and<br />
could tune its finicky dual carburetors. He was the only person<br />
allowed to touch it during its 42 years with us. I think he even<br />
loved the <strong>T34</strong> as much as we did. Since we lived in Flagstaff<br />
and the town is small, the <strong>T34</strong> never had many miles put on it.
While driving it to school one day the electrically-heated rear<br />
window was broken by some students. We had a difficult time<br />
locating a replacement rear window and were unable to find<br />
the electrically-heated one, so a standard glass was fitted.<br />
In about 1990 we’d driven the <strong>T34</strong> to Denny’s for breakfast<br />
one morning and an elderly gentleman accidentally backed his<br />
car into the left rear hind quarter of our <strong>T34</strong>. <strong>The</strong> damage<br />
wasn’t bad but it required repairs. We took it to Fender<br />
Bender, a local autobody shop in town, for the repairs &<br />
repaint. I was afraid of having it damaged again so after about<br />
3-4 months I parked it in our garage and drove my other car.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is sat with only very limited use for the next 20 years.<br />
In late-2010 our mechanic Burke called to see if we still owned<br />
the <strong>T34</strong> and asked if we’d consider selling it to him. He was<br />
the only person besides me that had ever driven it and he knew<br />
it better than I did, so we felt it was right to allow him to buy<br />
it. I’m a romanticist and my wife had been bugging me to<br />
clean-out the garage space to allow room for her projects, so<br />
the timing was right. We had always felt the <strong>T34</strong> was like a<br />
Black Beauty, a great stallion that needed an owner that would<br />
care for it and respect it, so it couldn’t go to just anyone. Burke<br />
paid us $3500 and the <strong>T34</strong> had just 55,000 miles from new<br />
and looked fantastic.”
Museum Tour: VW Osnabrück <strong>T34</strong>’s<br />
Photos by Markus Bolsinger, Published in VW Classic magazine<br />
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabrück Germany built several<br />
coachbuilt models for Volkswagen including the Beetle<br />
Cabriolet, T14 Karmann Ghia Coupe & Cabriolet, and our <strong>T34</strong>.<br />
In April 2009 the Karmann company went into bankruptcy and<br />
In October 2009 Volkswagen made an offer to acquire its longtime<br />
partner and in November VW said it would purchase the<br />
Karmann factory site to build a new car. Many enthusiasts<br />
were worried what would happen to the fantastic collection of<br />
Karmann-built vehicles in their collection. But now that VW<br />
has become owner of Karmann, the collection will remain<br />
intact and has been renamed Volkswagen Osnabrück.
<strong>The</strong>re are three <strong>T34</strong> models in the VW Osnabrück collection: the restored Pearl White<br />
1963 Cabriolet (one of six survivors), the Cherry Red 1965 1600 TC Fastback<br />
prototype, and the Silver 1969 Electric Sunroof Automatic. <strong>The</strong>se cars were regularly<br />
driven at important events and will likely be available for inspection at the GMH<br />
events in August 2011.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fastback was originally built in September 1964 as a design study in hopes that<br />
VW would agree to add it to the production, but it remained a driving prototype. In<br />
1969 Karmann upgraded the Fastback with a new Automatic chassis & wood-grain<br />
dash panel from 1969. But it retains many of the 1965 features including the early tail<br />
light bases & lenses, early inner-locking doors, early door panels, early ignition switch<br />
& turn signal lever, & ivory window winders.
Repro Parts: Body VIN Plate<br />
Here’s a great new repro part for <strong>T34</strong> owners that are missing<br />
their front ID plates! Many <strong>T34</strong>s have had their front clips<br />
replaced and the original VIN# plate was removed and not<br />
replaced when the work was done. Now we have a solution<br />
so these <strong>T34</strong>s can have matching VIN #s and get their <strong>T34</strong>s<br />
registered again.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are three types of VIN plates: 1962-64, 1965-67, & 1968-<br />
69. <strong>The</strong>y all are similar but have interesting variations that<br />
make them unique.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1962-64 plate is easily identified by the “Made in<br />
Western Germany” at the top.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1965-67 version has 34 as the prefix for the VIN#<br />
but the # is printed above the rivets.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1968-69 has the VIN# printed below the rivets.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>T34</strong> front aluminum body VIN# plate has been reproduced<br />
and sells for 30 Euro (US$43). Is anyone interested in replacing<br />
the VIN tag on the front of your <strong>T34</strong>? Contact<br />
CarstenKlein@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org for ordering information. Lee has<br />
made arrangements to stamp the VIN numbers onto the new<br />
repro plate so it will pass inspection and look authentic. Cost<br />
for this is US$20. Contact Lee @ Lee<strong>Hedges</strong>@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org
Repro Parts: Round Seat Slider Knobs<br />
<strong>The</strong> front seat slider knobs (located in the front lower inside<br />
edge of the seat) for 1962 were round, just like their T14 sisters.<br />
Over time they get old, cracked, broken, or lost. Finally there’s<br />
a reproduction of the gray colored knob that is an acceptable<br />
replacement. I found these repro knobs for $4 each at KG Parts<br />
& Restoration (Southern California USA). <strong>The</strong> holes were a bit<br />
smaller than the original <strong>T34</strong> knobs, so they required drillingout<br />
to fit onto the seat slider posts. <strong>The</strong>y are fitted by sliding<br />
over the post, not screwing into place.<br />
Gray Headlight Seals<br />
<strong>The</strong> headlight seals that keep the chrome headlight trims from<br />
scratching the body paint are now available in gray (previously<br />
only available in black). www.KarmannGhia.de has these for<br />
39 Euro each (US$56 each) under part #941191343AR.<br />
Gray Early E-Brake Boot<br />
Finally early <strong>T34</strong> owners have an option for the emergency<br />
brake boot in gray! www.KarmannGhia.de has this new repro<br />
part for 28 Euro (US$40) under part #HBM4.
Repro Parts: 6V Hard Start Relay Kit<br />
For a lot of original 6V <strong>T34</strong>s the corrosion in the 50 year old<br />
wiring systems has led to difficulty starting their cars. Our<br />
SouthWest USA Rep Bob Walton created a new kit for 6V<br />
owners to eliminate this problem. His kit comes complete &<br />
installs in under 30 minutes. It’s a fast & inexpensive solution<br />
to your <strong>T34</strong>s hard-starting issues.<br />
1. Remove the right rear hubcap & loosen the lug nuts on<br />
the right rear tire<br />
2. Remove the lower rear seat & disconnect the positive<br />
battery cable<br />
3. Prop-up the right side of the <strong>T34</strong> at the jack port<br />
4. Remove the right rear tire<br />
5. Disconnect the red wire from the starter solenoid (next<br />
to the starter motor)<br />
7 8<br />
15 & 16<br />
6. From the underside of the <strong>T34</strong> pull the battery cable as<br />
far as possible towards you<br />
7. Tape the red & blue wires to the battery cable under <strong>T34</strong><br />
8. Gently pull the battery cable from inside the <strong>T34</strong> to pull<br />
the wires inside<br />
9. Crimp the large eyelet connector to the blue wire<br />
10. Crimp the small eyelet connector to the red wire<br />
11. Attach the blue & red wires to the relay<br />
12. Attach the 25amp in-line fused wire to positive side of<br />
the relay<br />
13. Mount/ground the relay to the battery hold-down stud<br />
or secure it to the tunnel or on the rear firewall<br />
14. Secure the in-line fused wire to the positive battery cable<br />
15. Attach the blue spade connector to the starter solenoid<br />
16. Attach the red spade connector to the ignition wire that<br />
was previously removed from solenoid<br />
11 & 12<br />
Contact BobWalton@<strong>T34</strong><strong>World</strong>.org to order the kit.<br />
He accepts PayPal to the same email address. Cost is<br />
US$50 + $10 shipping within the USA. Email Bob for<br />
international shipping price.
Resto Update: French 1965 Reassembly<br />
Quick History: Franck Boutier bought his Sea Sand & Pearl<br />
White 1965 M343 in France in 2000, had driven it for eight<br />
years, then began the disassembly in mid-2009. That gave him<br />
two years for the frame-off restoration. <strong>The</strong> body & chassis<br />
restoration was finished by 2010. Now is the reassembly<br />
process in 2011. <strong>The</strong> last update was in the #1 Edition in<br />
January as the body had just been painted Sea Sand again.<br />
Jan-May 2011: the body was placed back down onto the<br />
chassis with the help of a lift-deck & three good friends. Franck<br />
guided them to position the body in the right places and there<br />
were no problems. <strong>The</strong> front VIN plates had been<br />
removed before painting and then reinstalled with rivets and<br />
screws as original. Franck recommends cleaning the VIN plates<br />
with a product called "OUATOR" using a soft cloth which is<br />
very good for chrome plated parts & aluminum to make the<br />
VIN plates look brand new again. <strong>The</strong> original wiring was in<br />
good condition so he simply cleaned it and replaced some of<br />
the connectors and broken sheath pieces. <strong>The</strong> dash pads are<br />
the originals ones but Franck used a cleaner called "CIF" with<br />
some water and a brush to clean them. <strong>The</strong>n he used "Trim<br />
Detailer" from Meguiar's to make them look new again.
Check out the attention to detail in the front compartment!<br />
<strong>The</strong> fuel tank, wiring, clamps, 1964-65 Premium fuel decal, and<br />
the lining material is all simply outstanding! <strong>The</strong> rear<br />
compartment area shows NOS oil filler & rear latch too. Franck<br />
is moving quickly on the reassembly process …
Resto: Get Me To <strong>The</strong> Church On-Time!<br />
By Steve Thirkettle from England<br />
Progress has been slow on my 1968 M344 this month with no<br />
chance of completing it to drive to my wedding on June 3 rd .<br />
Despite my best intentions work commitments and wedding<br />
planning has taken nearly all of my time leaving just four days<br />
and a couple of evenings to carry out as much work on the car<br />
as possible. I thought it wise to put the restoration work to one<br />
side in order to concentrate on other things so that I can come<br />
back from my honeymoon refreshed and ready to go again. It<br />
will also give me a chance to try and locate the spares that I will<br />
require such as headlights, R/H rear quarter window latch,<br />
amongst numerous other bits and bobs I’m sure to need.<br />
I have managed to fabricate the front wing headlamp sections,<br />
both doors are now welded and smoothed, and removed the<br />
paint from the roof. I also smoothed a few dents and covered<br />
everything in etching primer. I just need to carry out a few<br />
more bits of welding and smoothing before I can spray the 2k<br />
primer in readiness for the top coat.<br />
Well June the 3rd is almost here so I'd better practice my speech<br />
then it's off to Italy for two weeks of bliss in Sorrento. I<br />
wonder if I'll see any <strong>T34</strong>'s driving in Italy while we’re there.
Road Trip: Australian 3000km Drive Home<br />
By Simon “Dumpty” Thompson<br />
I'd known about this Arcona White & Black 1965 M344 (#345<br />
096 917) for some time now, having attempted to purchase it<br />
from the original owner’s estate but unfortunately I just missed it.<br />
My day came when I heard that the car might be available once<br />
more. So I got in-touch with the new owner and expressed my<br />
wishes then booked a flight to Adelaide from Perth ASAP. I'm the<br />
third owner and it has done 98,000 miles since new.<br />
Upon inspection I realized it needed loads of work if I was to<br />
drive it 3000 kilometers back to Western Australia. Advertised as<br />
“a very nice, honest, reliable, fully working example, the best<br />
unrestored example in Australia", it was overstated. <strong>The</strong> lights<br />
didn't work, the gear shift/mechanism had fallen to bits, the carbs<br />
were out of sync, there many faulty earths, there was no fluid in<br />
the transaxle, it was very grimy underneath, and the passenger<br />
side window didn’t work. And there was rust, not bad rust but it<br />
was there. Not what I was led to believe but I was in love!<br />
I learned it was originally delivered to South Australia and sold by<br />
Light Motors in Adelaide. Miss Milton of Magill, South Australia<br />
was its original owner and took possession on 05 August 1965 but<br />
it was built in January 1965. It took a long time for it to get from<br />
Germany to Australia via cargo ship.<br />
I had two days to get this car sorted out and I couldn't have done<br />
it without the help of two very good mates in Adelaide. Some of<br />
you T3 fans might know Aaron Britcher & Dave Prior. Both huge<br />
VW guys and I couldn't have asked for two better equipped and<br />
skilled dubbers to help me in my quest. Both guys gave me the<br />
use of their tools & workshops over that two day period,<br />
supplying plenty of coffee, beer, burnt meat, and good company.
First problem on the road was a wheel alignment issue which<br />
almost killed the front tyres. A quick roadside alignment,<br />
followed by some professional corrective efforts in Ceduna got<br />
me going again. <strong>The</strong>n the engine had a vapor lock issue 200kms<br />
past Iron Nob which took me a little while to diagnose and fix. I<br />
re-routed the fuel line away from the crankcase.<br />
I met a lot of people at the stops along the drive wanting to<br />
know what it was (only a couple guys knew it was a <strong>T34</strong>). Lots<br />
of people wanted to take a picture of it as we don't see many old<br />
cars out there on continental jaunts but the funny thing is the old<br />
cars you do still see are mostly VW's!<br />
<strong>The</strong> view of the Great Australian Bite is quite incredible (you'll<br />
have to take my word for it)! Out the other side of the Nully,<br />
just after crossing the border into Western Australia with only<br />
1700kms to go!<br />
I finally made it back home four days & over 3000 kilometers<br />
later. I hardly had any issues with a car that has spent the best<br />
part of the last 12 years under a tarp in a driveway. I think the ol'<br />
girl did a pretty good job!
As I don't really do stock this car will be modified<br />
though not a huge amount. I’m not sure about the<br />
roof but it kinda appeals to my kustom sensibilities and<br />
I know my hotrod and kustom mates dig it not to<br />
mention all my lady friends really like it! <strong>The</strong> lowered<br />
ride height will stay, the wheel and tyre combo will<br />
constantly change (I have a wheel fetish), the interior<br />
will be stock apart from the shifter (early BERG) and<br />
the steering wheel (VDM hopefully). And finally, I like<br />
a bit of “go” in my cars so that wonderful 1500 S<br />
engine will get pulled & wrapped and strapped to a<br />
pallet for safe keeping. Not sure about what to do<br />
with the engine but I kinda like the idea of a roller<br />
bearing stroker with small pistons and small valves,<br />
along with some old 40mm Italian <strong>Web</strong>ers. Nice and<br />
old school. I’ll possibly upgrade the brakes (again the<br />
stock ones will be wrapped up for safe keeping) using<br />
possibly a set of Porsche 356 B drums or maybe some<br />
early 911 bits with early FUCHS. Other than that, the<br />
car will be sympathetically renovated.
Resto Tip: Engine Trapdoor Insulation<br />
<strong>The</strong> aluminum underside insulation on the <strong>T34</strong> engine trapdoor<br />
often gets abused from wear & tear, engine heat, oil, &<br />
vibrations. <strong>The</strong>re were some changes over the years that are<br />
important to know when you restore this area.<br />
INSULATION: When restoring the trapdoor insulation it’s<br />
important to find a source for the aluminum material that is<br />
both cosmetically accurate and functional. I found the original<br />
diamond-shaped aluminum insulation was not available so I<br />
found a long roll of water-heater insulation material from our<br />
local Home Depot which cost only $25 and was able to restore<br />
6 trapdoors worth. It had a rectangular pattern but had the<br />
right thickness and was an acceptable restoration option. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are two styles of insulation: wrapped-edge & tucked-edge. But<br />
the very early-1962s had no insulation. <strong>The</strong> mid-1962’s<br />
(through 1963) had the early style insulation with the aluminum<br />
material glued over the outer edge of the metal trapdoor. <strong>The</strong><br />
late style (1964-69) had the insulation tucked inside the lip.<br />
PAINT: In 1962 the trapdoor metal was painted the body color<br />
but in all other years it was painted black. <strong>The</strong> round<br />
aluminum clips & metal handles & collars were shiny but I<br />
repainted mine with chrome. <strong>The</strong> early models had only four<br />
round clips with staples holding the aluminum to the inner<br />
insulation on the left & right sides. Later models had six clips<br />
and no staples.<br />
BUFFERS: <strong>The</strong> rubber parts that act as an anti-rattle for the<br />
dual twist-handles that keep the trapdoor locked into place<br />
were different as well. <strong>The</strong> early style (1962-63) had “clipstyle”<br />
for the metal handles to press into. <strong>The</strong> late style (1964-<br />
69) had “button-style” that simply cushion the vibrations. You<br />
can see the difference in the pics.<br />
TOP INSULATION: the earliest-1962’s had different textured<br />
material without any Auf/Open or Zu/Closed text or arrows.<br />
<strong>The</strong> late-1962 through 1969 models had a thick pressed-material<br />
style surface. We’ll cover the top insulation restoration in an<br />
upcoming edition since there’s a lot to know and we’re going<br />
through the restoration process right now.<br />
Above: Early-1962’s had the engine trapdoor metal painted to match the<br />
body color (but all other years were painted black). And the 1962-63’s<br />
aluminum foil-type material was wrapped around the metal edge.
Here are some tips I found for the restoration of the underside<br />
insulation for the trapdoor:<br />
I made a visit to the local home improvement store and found<br />
a source for the aluminum insulation. A large roll of the<br />
material was made for a hot water heater and cost only $20. It<br />
has a square pattern (vs the original diamond pattern) but is an<br />
excellent alternative.<br />
I painted the aluminum round clips, handle collars, and metal<br />
handles with chrome spray paint then painted the trapdoor in<br />
glossy black.<br />
I cut thin extra pieces of the insulation material to even-out the<br />
spaces in the underside of the trapdoor. <strong>The</strong>n I used spray-glue<br />
to stick all of the insulation pieces onto the trapdoor.<br />
Trimming the excess insulation with a razor blade resulted in a<br />
nice clean cut. And I discovered the early models had the edge<br />
of the aluminum material wrapped over the edge while later<br />
models from 1964 had the insulation edge tucked inside the<br />
edge of the trapdoor. I pressed the round metal clips into the<br />
four holes to keep things flush and finally installed the metal<br />
handles & rubber handle-clips.
Rep Profile: Jörg Fischer from Germany<br />
Jörg Fischer was born in 1969 in Darmstadt, Germany and still<br />
lives there with his wife & two little boys. He became<br />
interested in vintage cars when he was a teenager then after<br />
receiving his driver's license in 1987 he bought a 1971 T3<br />
Squareback/Variant. Since then Type 3 (and <strong>T34</strong>) have been a<br />
big part of his life. Although <strong>T34</strong> were inexpensive and easy to<br />
find in Germany in the late-1980’s & early-1990’s, Jörg<br />
preferred the Notchback. But in 1998 he bought his first <strong>T34</strong>,<br />
an original 28K-mile Anthracite (L489) & Pearl White (L87)<br />
from 1963 (#0 091 605) with Golde manual-crank sunroof.<br />
“My favorite <strong>T34</strong>s are unrestored, original cars with first paint,<br />
even when they proudly show their patina. <strong>The</strong> older the<br />
better”, Jörg says. “I usually do some research on the unique<br />
ownership story of my cars, so with most of them I am in<br />
contact with the first original owner or their families.”<br />
Always on the look-out for other <strong>T34</strong>s he says “a nice original<br />
late-model <strong>T34</strong> with automatic transmission & electric sunroof<br />
would be a good rounding off for my T3 collection.” Jörg<br />
attends several VW-meetings in Germany, and of course is<br />
looking forward to the huge Georgsmarienhütte 2011 events<br />
when close to 100 <strong>T34</strong>s will stand together in celebration of the<br />
50 th Anniversary of the <strong>T34</strong>.
Accessories: Under-Dash Parcel Trays<br />
This is perhaps one of the most useful accessories you can find for<br />
your <strong>T34</strong>. <strong>The</strong>se were sold at VW dealerships and from a variety<br />
of aftermarket suppliers in the 1960’s. <strong>The</strong>re are several different<br />
variations in material & colors. Since the interior width of the <strong>T34</strong><br />
is the same as the T3 models the under-dash parcel trays are<br />
common to both.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most commonly seen trays are the Ivory or Black ones with<br />
nylon netting. <strong>The</strong>se come in both asymmetrical & symmetrical<br />
formats. <strong>The</strong>y have screws in all four corners that keep the tray inposition.<br />
If mounted properly there is no contact with your knees<br />
while driving. Another common variation is the Ivory Bambus style<br />
with thick brown wire that forms the netting. <strong>The</strong>re’s a thicker<br />
Black one with nylon netting (next page top) as well.<br />
<strong>The</strong> costs for nice ones are typically US$100-150 while poor ones<br />
with holes in the netting sell for $40-50 and they’re usually found<br />
on theSamba or ebay.
For Sale: 46K-mile Castillian Yellow 1967<br />
In the USA most <strong>T34</strong>s get driven & driven & driven … mostly<br />
because the weather is nice and the laws to keep them on the<br />
road are relaxed. This means that most <strong>T34</strong>s get driven a lot<br />
and finding a low-mileage one is next to impossible. Even the<br />
most original ones have over 150K-miles. Except this 1967 …<br />
VIN # 347 038 831<br />
Engine # T0 270 142<br />
45,900 original miles<br />
Exterior: Castilian Yellow (L10K)<br />
Interior: Black Leatherette with Houndstooth cloth inserts<br />
Built 29 Sep 1966 & delivered to Finland on 04 Oct 1966<br />
Lived in dry Arizona & San Diego<br />
This 1967 Coupe was originally purchased by a US serviceman<br />
living in Finland who shipped it back to the USA then was killed<br />
in an accident. It was put into storage then sold in the 1980’s<br />
to Norman from Phoenix AZ (a collector). It was repainted its<br />
original color, Castillian Yellow, sometime in the 1980’s.<br />
Hobart Wingard from AZ bought it in 1995 then sold it in 2004<br />
to a Porsche collector Eade Hopkinson from Carlsbad CA.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n it was quickly sold again in 2005 where it ended up in<br />
Paul Kramer’s collection. It’s always lived in a dry warm area<br />
and been pampered & rarely driven more than 500 miles/year.
It’s in excellent mechanical condition and can be driven<br />
anywhere with speed & comfort. This is one of those timecapsule<br />
cars that has not been modified or restored. It starts<br />
immediately, runs smoothly in all gears, has loads of power, has<br />
responsive brakes, and is super-quiet. It's got all the unique<br />
1967 parts, has immaculate original hounds tooth seat<br />
upholstery, uncracked dash pads, excellent wood grain dash<br />
material, and excellent chrome bumpers & aluminum window<br />
trims. Doors & hoods open & close smoothly. It's one of those<br />
<strong>T34</strong>s that will only appreciate over time and one that can be<br />
enjoyed by anyone with little maintenance.<br />
<strong>The</strong> correct whitewall “Silvertown” BF Goodrich tires from<br />
Coker were recently fitted and after four years of searching, Lee<br />
& Paul found a working clock. A full service within the last<br />
5,000 miles included: engine removed & resealed, clean &<br />
paint engine parts, reseal oil pump, new brakes, clutch replaced,<br />
& dual carbs rebuilt. It also has an NOS under-dash parcel tray<br />
and repro wood-slat decklid luggage rack.<br />
This Karmann Ghia has won several prestigious VW shows<br />
including the Bug-In as well as the VW Classic (twice) and the<br />
VW Spring Festival in Carlsbad. Besides all the keys and books,<br />
the vehicle comes with its VW certificate of authenticity. It’s<br />
available at $24,990. Please contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or<br />
Paul@AutoKennel.com with any questions.
Authenticity: Window Winder Handles<br />
1962-65 <strong>T34</strong>s were fitted with the ivory plastic “cupped”<br />
version. This style has solid handles and has part #311 837<br />
585A. <strong>The</strong> plastic knobs are fragile and tend to get broken<br />
easily over time.<br />
1966 <strong>T34</strong>s were fitted with the ivory solid “domed” version.<br />
This style has hollowed-out handles and has part #311 837<br />
583A. <strong>The</strong> solid knobs are more durable than the cupped<br />
knobs. <strong>The</strong>se are typically seen fitted to restored & daily driver<br />
<strong>T34</strong>s because these solid knobs are found in better condition.<br />
1967-69 <strong>T34</strong>s were fitted with the black plastic version with a<br />
hollowed-out handle & part #311 837 583A.<br />
All window winder handles are fitted by sliding a U-shaped<br />
metal clip down over the shaft once the handle is positioned<br />
over the winder mechanism. If you need these metal U-clips,<br />
contact ISP West in Southern California at 310-637-2100. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are US$5 each + shipping.<br />
Above: underside of ivory handles - solid handles on plastic<br />
cupped style & hollowed-out handles on solid domed style.
Long-Term Owner: Daily Driven 1969<br />
Peter Cornoedus lives in the eastern part of Belgium, in a town<br />
called Opglabbeek (an hour east of Antwerp). He bought his<br />
1969 M343 (#349 133 592) twenty-seven years ago in 1984<br />
and drives it daily during the nice weather months from April<br />
through October. However, it was put into long-term storage<br />
for 18 of those years until he had the money to get it back on<br />
the road again. Now, as you can see it’s a beautiful cruiser.<br />
He’s currently planning to get the front seat upholstery repaired<br />
or replaced, buy new front floor mats, and replace a fog lamp.<br />
Next winter he plans to remove the bumpers and get them<br />
rechromed. He says at that time he might just return the <strong>T34</strong><br />
to its original color … Cherry Red.
First <strong>T34</strong> Story: <strong>The</strong> Piano Ghia<br />
By Kim Riishede from Denmark<br />
First of all, I never liked the type 3 Ghia! <strong>The</strong>n one day I saw<br />
an ad with a late <strong>T34</strong> and it looked just fine and I said to<br />
myself “I want one of these” and no, I don’t know why but it<br />
just was what I wanted! Yes a little crazy, I know. That <strong>T34</strong><br />
was sold and I started looking for one and decided I wanted an<br />
early one with "the mouse piano" in it (the push-button control<br />
unit for the lights & wipers). I did not find any in Denmark, so<br />
I had to look all over the world and found two in California,<br />
two in Canada, one in South Africa, one in Sweden (the best of<br />
them I think, but then he did not want to sell it after all) and<br />
later on, this 1964 in Germany.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ad for the 1964 said it was an "A" car with only 76000 km<br />
(50,000 miles). I drove down to Germany and talked to the<br />
seller (talked is maybe a little too much since I do not speak<br />
German and he did not speak English) but I got this story.<br />
He had being contacted by<br />
the daughter of the owner,<br />
who had passed-away, if he<br />
wanted to bay a collection<br />
of Volkswagens. Her<br />
father had owned a<br />
Volkswagen dealership in<br />
Berlin and had started this<br />
collection in a barn. But no<br />
one had known anything<br />
about the barn, there were<br />
trees around it. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
10 Volkswagens, he was<br />
told by the daughters but<br />
after a week they called<br />
him and said that it wasn’t<br />
10 but 20 Volkswagens<br />
inside the barn! He bought<br />
the entire collection and<br />
found that there were<br />
actually 40 different<br />
Volkswagens!<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were wartime VWs, Barndoor Buses, Split-Window<br />
Beetles, & more. <strong>The</strong>re were three Karmann Ghia’s: a T14<br />
Coupe, a T14 Cabriolet, and the 1964 <strong>T34</strong> Coupe.<br />
This <strong>T34</strong> was not an "A" car and I did not want to pay what he<br />
wanted but he needed the space so I got it for a better price. I<br />
think it was good to get a complete one, because I was<br />
planning to do a full restoration. But at one time in its life<br />
someone had done a restoration and welded it together, and I<br />
did not want to have things like that. So I sold it last summer<br />
at a good price because of that. My good friend bought it and<br />
he did not care about the welding, so everything is as good as it<br />
can get. He did a little brake job, a new battery, new oil and<br />
some gas and the <strong>T34</strong> started up right away, after standing<br />
since the 1980’s! He got license plates after a short time and<br />
then took it on vacation last autumn. He even took me for a<br />
drive in it … very nice! I like <strong>T34</strong>s very much now …
Spotlight: Anthracite 1964 Oh Là Là!<br />
Here’s an outstanding example of an unrestored preserved<br />
original <strong>T34</strong> from 1964 living in southern France. 1964 was the<br />
first year for the “performance years” that benefitted from the<br />
54hp dual-carburetor high-compression 1500 S engine. This<br />
new engine satisfied the early complaints from the motoring<br />
press that the VW 1500 series cars were too slow and unable to<br />
adequately pass the slower traffic. It could not attain<br />
100mph/160kph (previously 87mph) and so the speedometer<br />
was changed in 1964 to reflect this, becoming a<br />
100mph/160kph top indicator. Outwardly the only real<br />
indication of this enhanced performance was an S emblem<br />
added below the 1500 script on the rear panel. <strong>The</strong> exterior<br />
body remained unchanged from 1963.<br />
French & Italian <strong>T34</strong>s were fitted with special round reflectors,<br />
drilled into the bumpers, to comply with local laws for safety.<br />
As you can imagine … these are really tough to find!
<strong>The</strong> original radio block-off plate & clear plastic seal are still<br />
fitted to this Anthracite 1964. <strong>The</strong> straight horn bar, dual<br />
heater control unit, & red gauge needles are three quick ways to<br />
identify this <strong>T34</strong> as a 1964 model.<br />
Push-button controls for the lights & wipers were fitted through<br />
late-1964 and then a black plastic cover plate was fitted with<br />
holes for the pull-style knobs of 1965-66. <strong>The</strong> dash metal<br />
design was not changed until 1965.<br />
Anthracite has a very period authentic look to it, understated<br />
and elegant, allowing you to really see the beautifully crafted<br />
lines of the <strong>T34</strong> body.<br />
<strong>The</strong> latest word on this <strong>T34</strong> was it had been lowered & fitted<br />
with custom rims and offered for sale about a year ago. <strong>The</strong>n<br />
when there were no buyers the shop raised it back to stock<br />
height and replaced the original rims. It sold soon after to a<br />
local French enthusiast. It will likely be driven to the 50 th<br />
Anniversary events in Germany this August. I can’t wait to see<br />
it up close to capture all the minor details that only an original<br />
<strong>T34</strong> can have.
It’s so nice to see original unmolested <strong>T34</strong>s still available 50<br />
years after being built! This 1964 has the original decal in the<br />
back window from the Volkswagen dealer & its original Mixo<br />
dual horns mounted to the front bumper. <strong>The</strong> dash pads look<br />
to be in fantastic condition too. A pair of gray domed knobs<br />
has been added to the dash above the cigar lighter for<br />
unknown reasons. <strong>The</strong> push-button controls have a nasty habit<br />
of not working properly over time, so these two knobs may<br />
have been fitted to “fix” the lights & wipers without losing the<br />
push-button originality. <strong>The</strong>se are very difficult to find and<br />
when you do they are extremely expensive since all T3 models<br />
were fitted with them from 1962-64.
<strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong>wide Registry<br />
Back in 1987 when I bought my first <strong>T34</strong> there was little<br />
information known about <strong>T34</strong>s and no organized worldwide<br />
<strong>T34</strong> club. I began to collect chassis #s & photos into a <strong>T34</strong><br />
Registry and now 24 years later I have a comprehensive<br />
worldwide registry archives with more than 1300 <strong>T34</strong>s. To get<br />
your <strong>T34</strong> added to this collection, please email me the<br />
information. I’ll add the info into the electronic database &<br />
create a hardcopy folder for your <strong>T34</strong> with photos & details.
<strong>T34</strong> <strong>World</strong>